One morning in October as I clocked in for my shift, I couldn't help but notice that music was playing through the public address system, a system until then only used for imploring reluctant members of staff to 'jump on a till' when an unexpected rush occurred or to berate an inconsiderately parked customer into moving his or her vehicle. Yes, a nominal internal company radio station was on the air - in reality an external drive playing a selection of random tunes interspersed with social distancing information. The music, however, was awful - truly awful. I'd consider myself to have a working knowledge of pop music, but this stuff was unrecognisable and bland in the extreme, falling slap-bang into the category of aural wallpaper. The weeks went by and gradually it became the default background noise of a working day. Of course I expected to hear random Christmas songs phased into the playlist as we entered the festive season, but what I didn't bank on when I walked into the store on December 1st was to hear this belting out of the system.
The Coral - Jacqueline
You could've knocked me down with a feather. It was yer actual Coral....playing at work! Next up was 'Talk of the Town' by The Pretenders. Then 'One Vision' by Queen, which was slightly less welcome to be honest, but you get my drift. Suddenly, without warning, we were getting proper songs by proper artists instead of endless bucket loads of dreary muzak. Yes, this stuff is indeed interspersed with the anticipated Christmas songs, but wondering what tune is coming up next has certainly put a spring in my step each day. To date we've had music from artists such as Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Bob Marley & the Wailers, The Supremes, Steve Winwood, The La's, James Brown, Siouxsie & the Banshees, Sam Cooke, early Rod Stewart, The Travelling Wilburys, Dusty Springfield & The Four Tops to name but a few - and just yesterday 'Penny Lane' by The Fabs themselves, it really is all over the place and has become a welcome soundtrack to my working day. Even the festive tuneage stretches beyond the blindingly obvious. I mean when was the last time you heard this one going head to head with Slade and Wizzard in your local supermarket at this time of the year?
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Christmas All Over Again
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8 comments:
MrsRobster works for a well-known supermarket chain, and is currently being blasted with endless Christmas songs. Apparently, retail owners have been warned about the impact on the mental health of their employees at this time of year where the playing of instore music is concerned. Working an 8-hour shift hearing the same old songs over and over again every single day would definitely send me over the edge and some poor unsuspecting customer who only wants to know where they can find a tin of gingerbread would probably end up bleeding out in aisle 7 as a result.
Personally, I hate hearning music played in shops (except record shops, obviously). Music taste is so subjective, it's bound to affect the attitudes and moods of your customers. 99% of the time it's dreadful and too loud.
(Oops, I've just used 'those' two words. Getting old, see...)
Has Lost in the Supermarket featured yet?
A Christmas I worked in HMV in the early 90s coincided with the release of the film Hook which played on repeat some days. It still haunts me.
Ooh, sounds so much better than the usual offerings, and by original artists too, none of those awful cheap cover versions which sound nothing like them! I wonder who is responsible for compiling this one, it sounds as if, whilst they've been briefed to keep it fairly mainstream, they're perhaps getting a few less obvious personal favourites in too? Glad it all helps to keep you going in what must be a particularly difficult job right now too.
Glad the song choices have improved. Sadly music was my downfall at work. Radios have crept into offices in the last decade or so to be used as white noise, but as I kept explaining, I love music radio so just couldn’t ‘tune out’ and concentrate on what I had to do.
Interesting about the effect of too many Xmas songs on employee’s mental health. Be careful out there TS, it’s a dangerous time of year.
Glad the song choices have improved. Sadly music was my downfall at work. Radios have crept into offices in the last decade or so to be used as white noise, but as I kept explaining, I love music radio so just couldn’t ‘tune out’ and concentrate on what I had to do.
Interesting about the effect of too many Xmas songs on employee’s mental health. Be careful out there TS, it’s a dangerous time of year.
We have a pizza chain that started in this area (and has begun to branch out in the UK and elsewhere) called MOD that has the best programmed music I have heard in a public space (outside of a bar, anyway). Lots of late ‘70s, early ‘80s stuff like Undertones, XTC and the like. Obviously, haven’t eaten there in close to a year now... Every once in a while I will be surprised by a song in my supermarket (heard Geno not too long ago), but it’s rare.
Like Adam's HMV story I once worked in a restaurant which played Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks on a loop!
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